The Full Frame Initiative is part of Massachusetts’ reform efforts to create a survivor-centered, effective, and efficient response to domestic and sexual violence and homelessness. People who have experienced violence are more than just this experience. They often face other challenges, juggle multiple identities, and have interests and relationships that sustain them. Because they are more than victims of violence, they seek and deserve more than safety.

We are excited to offer a series of FREE 2-day trainings! The trainings will increase attendee’s knowledge of the codified, evidence-informed Five Domains of Wellbeing framework as the cornerstone of supporting victim wellbeing, promoting victims’ social connectedness, sense of mastery (competence and self-power), safety, stability, and meaningful access to relevant resources.

Registration is limited to 25 people. Priority will be given to those from organizations that work with survivors of sexual and domestic violence. These trainings fill up quickly and we’ll likely have a waitlist, so please notify us by June 15th if you are unable to make the training. Please email any questions to Lotus Yu. To register, visit bit.ly/ffifreetraining.

The trainings will increase attendees’ knowledge of the codified, evidence-informed Five Domains of Wellbeing framework as the cornerstone of supporting victim wellbeing, promoting victims’ social connectedness, sense of mastery (competence and self-power), safety, stability, and meaningful access to relevant resources.

Training goals include:

Increase understanding of the Five Domains of Wellbeing, as a framework and approach for supporting wellbeing

Understand how balancing tradeoffs informs decision-making and change

Begin to see how minimizing tradeoffs can support change that lasts

Practice identifying assets, challenges, and tradeoffs with a Five Domains of Wellbeing lens, in our own lives and the lives of others, including survivors of sexual and domestic violence

The training will be held at The Episcopal Church of Saints James and Andrew. Additional information will be provided to registrants by email.

This project is supported by the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance through a Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA) grant from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.

When systems and communities orient around wellbeing, we create possibilities for lasting change for people and families. Our spring newsletter highlights partnerships that are supporting families in sustaining positive change, focusing on wellbeing to increase equity and justice, and bringing a wellbeing orientation directly to the community. Hear from partners about what this change looks like from the inside and what that means for families, meet talented artist and youth ambassador Trey from our community-based collaboration in St. Louis, and see how the FFI team is growing and changing!

More than 120 community residents and leaders from St. Louis nonprofit and public systems gathered together on January 23 for a two-hour Community Education and Outreach Event to learn more about Kids Deserve Wellbeing (KDW). This is a broad-based movement building effort that seeks to make wellbeing—the needs and experiences universally needed in combination for health and hope—the common heartbeat of the systems, formal and an informal, that support child welfare in the St. Louis region. Welcoming remarks were offered by Michael Howard, CEO of the Youthbridge Community Foundation (pictured left with Katya Fels Smyth), the bedrock funder for the initiative. Katya Smyth, Founder and CEO of The Full Frame Initiative, delivered a presentation exploring the pressing need to view kids and families in the full frame of their lives. A panel of community and systems leaders rounded out the program by sharing their excitement about the project and offer the audience a glimpse of what it means to adopt a wellbeing orientation. We offer a warm thank you to our panelists (pictured below): Tim Decker, Director of Missouri’s Children’s Division; Ben Burkemper, St. Louis County Family Court Administrator; Arvell Keithley, a student at St. Louis Community College; Don Pokorney, Regional Administrator for Children’s Division; and Jennifer Brinkmann, President of Alive and Well Communities. This wellbeing movement offers an opportunity to bust through silos, enabling deep collaboration of the various agencies and resources serving kids and families to foster long-term, lasting wellbeing. Kids Deserve Wellbeing works at the intersection of issues addressed by other initiatives in St. Louis, and it spans the boundaries of government, nonprofits and community, using the Five Domains of Wellbeing as a shared conceptual framework to guide the work.

We invite attendees and their colleagues to join us in our effort to bring a wellbeing orientation to services for kids by attending one of the five free, one-day trainings being offered in the St. Louis region in February and March of 2018.

Through a grant from the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA), we are excited to offer a series of FREE 2-day trainings around the state, Supporting Survivor Wellbeing: The Five Domains of Wellbeing. The trainings are designed for staff and volunteers at community-based organizations serving survivors of violence across the commonwealth. Over the two-days, training attendees will increase their knowledge of the codified, evidence-informed Five Domains of Wellbeing framework as the cornerstone of supporting survivor wellbeing.

Training goals include:

Increase understanding of the Five Domains of Wellbeing, as a framework and approach for supporting wellbeing

Understand how balancing tradeoffs informs decision-making and change

Begin to see how minimizing tradeoffs can support change that lasts

Practice identifying assets, challenges and tradeoffs with a Five Domains of Wellbeing lens, in our own lives and the lives of others, including survivors of sexual and domestic violence

“I wanted to thank you again for the two day training, Supporting Survivor Wellbeing. I haven’t stopped looking at life through the Five Domains of Wellbeing lens, and I was even able to reference some of the domains in conversation while at work. The approach helps advocates redirect the priorities of their counseling and advocacy, and center the lives and needs of survivors in the programs. My colleague and I truly benefited from the training and have been positively influenced.”

The schedule of trainings is as follows, with each day running from 9 am until 4 pm. There is a registration limit of 30 people per training. Priority will be given to those from organizations that work with survivors of sexual and domestic violence.

If you’d like be notified about the upcoming trainings as they are scheduled, or would like other information about these events, please e-mail Lotus Yu.

Supporting Survivor Wellbeing: The Five Domains of WellbeingDates and locations, 2017-2018:

Please let us know of any accommodation, interpretation or translation needs you may have for this training, and please be as specific as possible. Every effort will be made to accommodate advance requests; on-site requests cannot be guaranteed. Reasonable accommodations will be provided during the training. Please contact lotus@fullframeinitiative.org with any questions or for more assistance.

This project is supported by the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance through a Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA) grant from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.

“Today I’m leaving with a new concept of asking what is going well. So many times clients are sharing all that is going wrong and we’re not in the habit of talking about the positive things or assets they may have in each domain.” —From participant evaluation comments

“Today I was reminded of the importance of non-judgement and accepting people where they are, because their tradeoffs are not always what we see, or even what we expect.”—From participant evaluation comments

Through a grant from the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA), we are excited to offer a series of FREE 2-day trainings around the state, Supporting Survivor Wellbeing: The Five Domains of Wellbeing. The trainings are designed for staff and volunteers at community-based organizations serving survivors of violence across the commonwealth. Over the two-days, training attendees will increase their knowledge of the codified, evidence-informed Five Domains of Wellbeing framework as the cornerstone of supporting survivor wellbeing.

Training goals include:

Increase understanding of the Five Domains of Wellbeing, as a framework and approach for supporting wellbeing

Understand how balancing tradeoffs informs decision-making and change

Begin to see how minimizing tradeoffs can support change that lasts

Practice identifying assets, challenges and tradeoffs with a Five Domains of Wellbeing lens, in our own lives and the lives of others, including survivors of sexual and domestic violence

The schedule of trainings is as follows, with each day running from 9 am until 4 pm. There is a registration limit of 30 people per training. Priority will be given to those from organizations that work with survivors of sexual and domestic violence.

If you’d like be notified about the upcoming trainings as they are scheduled, or would like other information about these events, please e-mail Lotus Yu.

Supporting Survivor Wellbeing: The Five Domains of WellbeingDates and locations, 2017-2018:

Please let us know of any accommodation, interpretation or translation needs you may have for this training, and please be as specific as possible. Every effort will be made to accommodate advance requests; on-site requests cannot be guaranteed. Reasonable accommodations will be provided during the training. Please contact lotus@fullframeinitiative.org with any questions or for more assistance.

This project is supported by the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance through a Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA) grant from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.

FFI is growing and we have created a new position on our team for a Donor Relations Manager, providing high level support and project management for our strategy to dramatically increase individual philanthropic giving. The person in this position will play a pivotal role by proactively managing the donor relationship process including recruitment and cultivation of new major donors and stewardship and retention of current individual donors. The Donor Relations Manager will work closely with FFI’s Founder and CEO and the Special Assistant to the CEO. Learn more about this opportunity!

FFI is growing and we are looking for our next passionate team member to join us in a new position as Senior Manager, Training and Capacity Building. This person will co-design, develop strategy for, and co-lead implementation of FFI’s work to build the capacity of public systems and private nonprofit organizations to orient around wellbeing. This position is a part of our Training and Capacity Building team and will play an integral role in supporting our current partners, developing new relationships with potential partners and building the capacity of our partners to integrate the Five Domains of Wellbeing into their culture, policy, structure and practice. Learn more about this opportunity!

FFI is growing and looking for two new members to join our dynamic team!

We’ve added a new position for a creative and energetic Director of Communications who will lead the charge of developing a strategic communications plan for equitable access to wellbeing and for FFI. This person will grow brand awareness, expand FFI’s reach and resources, and help propel a movement for wellbeing. Learn more about this opportunity and how to apply!

We are also looking for a spirited, “can do” person to join the team as the Special Assistant to the CEO. This position provides advanced, wide-ranging and confidential strategic, operational, administrative and programmatic support to the CEO and plays a vital role in FFI’s success by maximizing the CEO’s time to best achieve the organization’s goals. Learn more about this opportunity and how to apply!

The Full Frame Initiative has new opportunities to join our amazing team! We are looking for a new Human Resources Manager and an Administrative Assistant in our Greenfield office, and a Training & Capacity Building Manager and a Community Engagement & Capacity Building Manager in Missouri. Work with us to increase access to wellbeing to break cycles of poverty and violence. Are you, or do you know, someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, is passionate about social change and eager to grow with a growing organization? Apply now or share widely with your networks! Learn more on the Jobs & Internships page.

featured news

Nine years ago, the Full Frame Initiative (FFI) was founded out of hope for what could beand frustration about what is. To this day, we stay centered on a central question: what if our service systems … Read More...

Statement on Equity and Social Justice

We believe equity and social justice are necessary for wellbeing--the needs and experiences required for health and hope. People experience barriers to wellbeing based on race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, and other identities. In particular, racism is a key part of what keeps inequity alive in the United States. We believe that increasing access to wellbeing is necessary to end racism and advance racial equity. We are committed to addressing issues of racial and social equity in all our work.